Norwood walking path nears completion

Monday

Jul 28, 2014 at 9:00 AM

By Brad Colebcole@wickedlocal.com

The walking path at the Coakley Middle School is nearing completion.Approximately 600 feet of the 2,180-foot walking track remains. Norwood Selectmen approved completing the walking track at its July 8 meeting."The walking path itself, what remains, costs less than $10,000 to complete. I expect it should be completed in a couple weeks," Recreation Director Jerry Miller said.In addition, the town received a $30,000 grant from the Dedham Institute for Savings for various amenities to line the track."That allows us to put in a new fence, exercise stations and some benches," Miller said.The exercise equipment includes a squat press, a chest and back press, an ab crunch machine and a leg lift. Miller competed their pieces to the town’s playground equipment, as they are specifically built for outdoor use and can withstand the elements.There is already a walking path at the Coakley Middle School, as a 1/10-mile track is located near the baseball field. However, this track is set to be removed, as the tennis courts will be relocated there as part of the town’s ice rink construction project, Miller said.The town also has a track at the Norwood High School, but this path is lacking one important amenity, Miller said."There are no lights, so when it gets dark, people leave," Miller said. "From April to November, there are usually activities (at the Coakley), and the lights are on almost all the time. It is the busiest complex in town."The request for a walking path dates back to the town’s 2009 Open Space and Recreation Master Plan. Though the number one request in this plan was for a new indoor pool, walking paths were the second most popular request, Director of Public Works Mark Ryan said."The great thing about a walking path is it can be used by all ages," Ryan said. "It can be used while other programs are going on, be it soccer or football."The DPW started constructing the path in 2013. They, along with some local contractors, created a 1,580-foot long, eight-foot wide walking path. The path currently ends abruptly, and this summer’s project will close the loop, Ryan said.The walking paths are just one part of the plans for the Coakley Middle School.His goal is to replace the fields at the Coakley Middle School with artificial turf. A properly maintained and irrigated field can be used approximately 400 times annually, but three of the fields at the school are used over 1,000 times each year, Miller said. Replacing the field with artificial turf with help with ongoing upkeep and maintenance.Another goal is to add a playground at the Coakley Middle School. While there is a playground at the neighboring Hawes Pool, it’s far away from the fields. Placing one near the fields would allow a parent to simultaneously watch one child play a sport while the other uses the playground, Miller said."We feel this will be a great asset to the community," Ryan said.Staff writer Brad Cole can be reached at 781-433-8339 or bcole@wickedlocal.com. Like The Norwood Transcript and Bulletin on Facebook and follow @bradcolewrites and @NorwoodTranscri on Twitter.